At Home in Hollywood - Design Bureau

A look inside Bradwell and Gradel's LA condo. Photos by Bethany Nauert.

3 Comments

Leave a Reply

At Home in Hollywood

Monday, January 16th, 2012

by Sarah Cason

"I have been drawing since I could pick up a pencil,” Lars Gradel says. The interior designer has worked for numerous firms throughout his career, doing everything from project management to design renderings, but he admits that his trickiest project has been designing the perfect LA loft for himself and his partner, Thor Bradwell. “Thor was definitely my toughest client,” he laughs. “He was hard to convince until it all came together.”

It was somewhat of a process, though, Gradel says, noting that one piece set the tone for his overall aesthetic. “The original inspiration for our loft was a gold standing mirror in our entryway. It was the first thing I purchased, and it inspired the whole concept,” he says. Keeping the color palette metallic, with more gold, bronzes, and silvers throughout the interior, Gradel has worked to achieve a theme that he calls “Urban Safari.” “The architecture of our building is very stylized. It’s Zig Zag Modern and art deco, built in 1929 by the Parkinsons,” Gradel says, noting the father and son design duo also created LA’s historic City Hall. “It has a history and energy that you don’t get in other places in Los Angeles.”

With a three-month deadline before the move-in date, Gradel went to work designing large custom pieces, like the bed, sofa, and dining table in his space. Many of the other pieces were selected from local design shops, and he even threw in a few items from Ikea. “I really love vintage shopping,” he says of his personal taste, “and collecting little things when we travel.”

With Bradwell’s high-powered position as a Hollywood agent, the couple frequently entertains friends, family, and celebrity clients in their home, and their enviable rooftop pool has served as the backdrop for at least one People magazine photo shoot. “Our home is used for work and entertaining every week. I love to share this place with loved ones.”

Though he had a time crunch on his hands, his advice for others looking to design their own home is to avoid that predicament altogether. “Take your time. Start slow. Find the right pieces that look great, function, and are comfortable. What good is a chair if you can’t sit in it?”